The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Ebonyi has stepped up grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, with its supporters pledging to back the party’s candidates and Governor Francis Nwifuru’s re-election bid.
The mobilisation drive featured the inauguration of the Chipping Sellers Movement in Ebonyi North Senatorial District, where members pledged to support APGA candidates and work towards Nwifuru’s return for a second term.
The event, held at the Pastoral Centre, Abakaliki, attracted party stakeholders, candidates, traders and members of the movement, who were urged to strengthen their grassroots networks and engage voters ahead of the elections.
Speaking at the event, APGA State Chairman, Chukwudi Nwankwo, stressed the need for sustained grassroots mobilisation, effective coordination and voter engagement as the party prepares for the elections.
Nwankwo urged members and supporters to focus on communicating the candidates’ programmes and policies to the electorate, noting that electoral success required discipline, strategic engagement and commitment at the ward, local government and state levels.
He also called for peaceful political participation, cautioning members against inflammatory rhetoric and urging them to respect the rights of supporters of other political parties.
The chairman said constructive engagement with voters and issue-based campaigns should guide the party’s mobilisation efforts.
Also speaking, Chief Chikaodili Ojimba, APGA’s senatorial candidate for Ebonyi North and national leader of the Chipping Sellers Movement, urged members to intensify their mobilisation activities in support of the party’s candidates and Nwifuru’s re-election bid.
Ojimba said the movement planned to extend its activities to Ebonyi Central and Ebonyi South to strengthen its presence across the state.
He identified the movement’s main objectives as securing support for APGA candidates in the 2027 general elections and backing the governor’s second-term ambition.
He called for peaceful consultations and campaigns, stressing that political differences should not lead to insults, intimidation or violence.
Ojimba also urged the movement’s leaders to adopt an inclusive approach, listen to members’ concerns and address grievances fairly.
He encouraged the organisation to sustain its community support programmes beyond the election period, particularly in welfare, educational assistance and support for vulnerable members.
Earlier, APGA candidate for Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, Mr Tochukwu Ogalagu, urged members to strengthen their mobilisation efforts to support the party’s candidates.
Ogalagu emphasised the importance of grassroots communication, voter education and organisational discipline. He encouraged members to educate voters on the electoral process and how to identify candidates through their party symbols on the ballot.
He cautioned supporters against spreading misinformation and urged them to remain committed to peaceful political engagement.
The candidate commended the movement’s leadership for the initiative, describing organised grassroots mobilisation as an important part of election campaigns.
In his remarks, National President of the Chipping Sellers Movement, Chief Joseph Emeka Nwobiya, said the organisation was established as a foundation and non-governmental initiative to support people through education and other assistance programmes.
Nwobiya said the foundation had awarded scholarships to 150 beneficiaries to study at universities of their choice. He added that the movement had resolved to support Ojimba’s senatorial ambition in 2027.
He urged voters in Ebonyi North to assess candidates based on their records of service, accessibility and commitment to constituents’ welfare.
According to him, elected representatives should maintain regular contact with the electorate and remain responsive to their needs beyond election periods.
Nwobiya said the movement would continue to promote peaceful political participation and grassroots engagement as it expanded across the state’s three senatorial districts.
The inauguration forms part of the movement’s planned expansion beyond Ebonyi North, with further activities expected in Ebonyi Central and Ebonyi South as political parties and candidates step up preparations for the 2027 general elections.
